APPEARANCE OF RINGS TO SATUKNIAXS. 



these pages, read to the Royal Astronomical Society in 1853, and 

 published in the twenty-second volume of their " Transactions." 



It is there demonstrated that the infinite skill of the Great 

 Architect of the Universe has not permitted that this stupendous 

 annular appendage, the uses of which still remain undiscovered, 

 should be the cause of such darkness and desolation to the 

 inhabitants of the planet, and such an aggravation of the rigours 

 of their fifteen years' winter, as it has been inferred to be from 

 the reasoning of the eminent astronomers already named, as well 

 as many others ; who have either adopted their conclusions, or 

 arrived at like inferences by other arguments. 



It is shown, on the contrary, that, by the apparent motion of 

 the heavens, produced by the diurnal rotation of Saturn, the 

 celestial objects, including, of course, the sun and the eight 

 moons, are not carried parallel to the edges of the rings, as has 

 been hitherto supposed ; that they are moved so as to pass alter- 

 nately from side to side of each of these edges ; that in general 

 such objects as pass under the rings are only occulted by them 

 for short intervals before and after their meridional culmina- 

 tion; that although under some rare and exceptional circumstances 

 and conditions, certain objects, the sun being among the number, 

 are occulted from rising to setting, the continuance of such 

 phenomenon is not such as has been supposed, and the places of 

 its occurrence are far more limited. In short, it has no such 

 character as would deprive the planet of any essential condition of 

 habitability. 



Fig. 9 



14. The appearance which the ring presents to the Saturnians 

 must vary very much with the latitude of the observer and the 

 season of the year. In the summer half-year, the observer and 

 the sun being on the same side of the ring, it will present the 

 appearance of an arch in the heavens, bearing some resemblance 

 in its form to a rainbow, the surface, however, having an 

 appearance resembling that of the moon. 



59 



